CDMA does not allow for simultaneous voice and data so talking and surfing is a no go on Verizon and Sprint. With the Google Nav, from what I understand, the program will download the whole trip at the beginning so that you can take a phone call and still use the Nav.

There are also other apps for Android like CoPilot that store the maps on the SD card so you don't have to use data at all during the trip. The only exception would be for POIs or Traffic info and stuff like that.

UMTS 3G (T-Mobile, AT&T) already allows simultaneous voice and data.
Its pretty neat to run tethering with your phone and take a call while doing it (happened to me once). Since UMTS is developing LTE, one would assume that it too will allow simultaneous voice and data

But the kicker for customers? The creation of SVDO, or Simultaneous 1x Voice and EV-DO Data. This allows for CDMA networks the ability to utilize the phone portion of a mobile device, and the data connection at the same time.

You can talk on the phone and use the GPS Navigation at the same time. I've done it and it works great.

Click to expand...

Yes, this does work -- you can't make changes to your destination (or add waypoints, etc.) while you're on the phone, but Google Nav will still plot your location via GPS, and even re-calculate the route if you go the wrong way.

I've only ever had this come up one time... I was talking to a friend and he asked me to look up something on the Internet... Couldn't do it without hanging up the call and calling him back.

I can certainly see how being able to browse the web and talk at the same time would be a nice thing, but since it's the fault of Verizon's network (and not just the Droid, specifically) it's not something that's going to cause me to drop my Droid for another phone. Verizon's other qualities (great 3G coverage, very few dropped calls) outweigh this one disadvantage, in my opinion.

You can talk on the phone and use the GPS Navigation at the same time. I've done it and it works great.

Click to expand...

Yes, this does work -- you can't make changes to your destination (or add waypoints, etc.) while you're on the phone, but Google Nav will still plot your location via GPS, and even re-calculate the route if you go the wrong way.

I've only ever had this come up one time... I was talking to a friend and he asked me to look up something on the Internet... Couldn't do it without hanging up the call and calling him back.

I can certainly see how being able to browse the web and talk at the same time would be a nice thing, but since it's the fault of Verizon's network (and not just the Droid, specifically) it's not something that's going to cause me to drop my Droid for another phone. Verizon's other qualities (great 3G coverage, very few dropped calls) outweigh this one disadvantage, in my opinion.

Click to expand...

Definitely.

And with Verizon adding LTE sometime in the near future, this will not be a problem ever again. I'll be sticking with Verizon because their coverage is amazing, and LTE is like a big happy marriage between CDMA and GSM. Of note, CDMA is just a communication method, a radio type. CDMA2000 is what Verizon uses, and is more advanced than GSM. The GSM providers with 3G, unless you count EDGE, are not even using "GSM" anymore. UTMS is a more advanced and better developed version of CDMA communication standards.

Of great note, LTE continues the CDMA advancement of UTMS, and even more amazing is it's completely backwards with all CDMA standards, as well as GSM. For CDMA, that includes CDMA2000 (1x, EVDO), and W-CDMA (UTMS).
It isn't the case that LTE simply incorporates all of this, but rather, will seamlessly handle and pass services from LTE to those services whenever necessary.

I don't feel like looking it up again at the moment, so I cannot remember specifically whether LTE technology itself will handle connections of the backward-compatible services, or if it will simply pass it to a compatible tower.

What I look forward to is having a Verizon 4G(LTE)-equipped phone, and whenever I have 4G service I'd have the capability to reach some insane data speeds. But I wouldn't have to worry about coverage, because if I don't have 4G service, I'd have plenty of 3G and 2G coverage elsewhere so while download/browsing speeds will be slow, phone coverage will never be an issue. Verizon's network is one I've never had a problem with coverage-wise, and dropped calls are so rare they basically don't happen on my end.

Useful Searches

About DroidForums.net

DroidForums.net was founded in 2009 originally dedicated for the Motorola Droid, the first Verizon Android Phone. We have since expanded our community to cover all Android Phones, Android Tablets, and Android Wearables. We discuss various topics including Android Help, Android Device Reviews, Android Apps, Phone Accessories, Android Games and more. Our ultimate goal is to be the Internet's best and largest Android Forum.